Happy Wedding Day Turns Sad In Minutes of Ceremony in Southern Illinois

As southern Illinois newlyweds made their way to the reception right after the ceremony this past Saturday night, the unthinkable happened.

A 40-year-old southern Illinois newlywed is dead after the motorcycle her new husband was operating crashed on the way to the couple's reception. The unthinkable on such a special day.

The Carbondale Southern Illinoisan reports that "Jana Miles-Burnett of Whittington died Saturday night following a wedding ceremony in a Buckner city park. She and husband William Burnett were headed to a reception at a bar in Christopher, a three-mile trip".

Gord Horne, Thinkstock Photo

Apparently, Burnett struck a deer that had darted onto the rural highway. Miles-Burnett, was thrown off the motorcycle after the collision in her wedding dress. Her husband was not seriously injured.

Miles-Burnett was seriously injured but still alive when emergency crews arrived. But she couldn’t overcome the trauma. She was pronounced dead at 8:04 p.m. Saturday at Franklin Hospital in Benton. The couple just exchanged vows at 7:00 p.m. this past Saturday night.

According to family member the day was filled with joy and the most laughter the families have enjoyed in months. The couple dated for only a few months before marrying.

A GoFundMe account has been set up to help the family with funeral costs, which can be found by searching for the Jana Weaver Miles-Burnett Memorial.